Chapter 3 - [Can I Touch You?] (1/2)

Chapter 3 – [Can I Touch You?]

Everything felt like a dream.

I had come to the academy on a whim, accidentally took some strange experimental drugs, met the man I had admired and had been attacked by a monster.

It was hard for my mind to believe that all of that had happened in such a short period of time.

When I regained consciousness, I heard some people talking near me.

“Why did the monster suddenly go so berserk?”

“I don’t know.”

I didn’t know whose voice was asking the question, but I could recognize that it was Theansis who answered. His husky and low pitched voice was so charming that I could recognize it by just listening.

Theansis had answered with a hint of bitterness, but he switched his tone when he asked a question. “But the tree that suddenly fell down. Did you check why it fell?”

“Yes sir. The tree fell due to natural circumstances. A few days ago, someone had even said that the tree would become dangerous if the city would be hit by a storm. Its fall wasn’t related to the fight.”

“Even though someone said that they still just left it like that? The Academy Management is a mess.”

“I know. The manager made an excuse saying that he was busy with some festival. It was a horrible excuse. Speaking of which, do you know what the alchemy professor is trying to do with the monster?”

“No. We’ll just have to find out what that person is thinking later.”

I couldn’t fully understand what they were talking about, and I wanted to listen to their conversation for a bit more, but my eyelids were closing and I had no control over them.

So I fell asleep again.

Then I woke up again and opened my eyes.

How long has it been?

The first thing that I noticed was that the back of my head was hurting and my whole body felt heavy with a body ache. But as I spent more time awake, I began to feel more refreshed.

The last thing that I remembered was that something had suddenly hit me in the back of my head, so I couldn’t tell where I was lying right now.

I sat up in the bed and looked around with a hint of surprise.

“Oh my! You’ve finally regained your consciousness.” A maid nearby saw me raising my body and spoke to me in surprise.

“Where am I?”

“This is the Duke of Acruge’s dorm in the Academy. I’m Emily, a maid who works here.”

Dorm? Here?

Even though Theansis is the youngest Duke to rule the North, he still had a dorm just like any other student. It was a bit shocking to me.

But no matter where I looked in this room, I couldn’t say it was like a student’s quarters. The decorations and furniture here could be compared to any wealthy aristocratic mansion.

Well, it made sense that an Academy for prestigious aristocrats would not have ordinary dorms.

“So this is the Duke’s quarters,” I murmured.

I pulled myself out of the bed, clearing my head for a moment. Then Emily, who was next to me, hurriedly assisted me and exclaimed, “You just woke up. Where are you even going? You probably don’t know anything because you passed out, but you’ve been asleep for three days!”

“Oh.” I was surprised that I had slept for so long. “But now that I’ve regained my consciousness, I have to leave. Can you just please tell the Duke that I really appreciate him saving my life?”

I actually wanted to meet him in person and say hello, but it would probably be impolite to waste his precious time just for that. I’m eternally grateful that he saved my life, and someday I will get an opportunity to show him my gratitude. But for now, I know that my only position is to watch him from afar.

“You have to tell him yourself. He asked me to let him know immediately when you wake up. Please take your time and get comfortable here.”

“What?” My eyes went wide with what Emily said.

I won’t have to come to him, he’ll come here instead?

I couldn’t help but be surprised that Theansis would be coming here in person.

I am just a young Baroness, the lowest rank among the nobles. Theansis has one of the highest ranks in the entire Empire. Even though we are both aristocrats, our statuses are like heaven and earth.

Before I could say anything, Emily rushed out. She looked like she was about to report it to Theansis.

What am I going to do?

I’ve collected his photos and watched him like a fangirl for a long time, but this will be the very first time I’ll meet him up close.

A rush of memories flooded my mind. I remembered his voice when he called me “Lady,” and how he had asked me if I was okay with a worried look on his face.

My face blushed.

When I remembered the scene when he held me in his arms before I lost my consciousness, I felt a sudden joy inside me.

I just couldn’t believe it. It all just felt so dreamy.

What should I do?

When I was facing the monster my heart had stopped in fear, but now my heart was pounding readily at the mere thought of him meeting me.

I stood up in a hurry and fixed my disheveled hair. I wanted to dress up, but I didn’t have anything to change into, so there was nothing more I could do about my shabby appearance.

I laid down on the bed in anticipation, unable to sit or stand.

Thud- Thud-

There was an incoming sound of footsteps steadily approaching. My heart began to throb.

Creak–

Soon after, the door opened and Theansis entered the room.

In my eyes, it seemed like every move he took was in slow motion, as if time had stopped just for him.

What happened before I lost my consciousness was like a dream, but this scene with him was like a fantasy to me now.

“You are finally conscious, Lady.”

The way he said “Lady” was just so sweet, that it felt like there was a spring breeze that had enveloped my heart. My heart and mind melted at the sound. I couldn’t even say anything in response, so I just nodded my head instead.

Just then, I felt something dripping down my nose. I wiped my nose with my hands and saw blood.

Yes, that’s right.

My nose was audacious enough to bleed in front of Theansis.

“Ahh–” I panicked and froze. At that moment, Theansis quickly pulled out his handkerchief and held it out towards me.

Even though my nose was bleeding, all I could think about was how pleasant his handkerchief smelled. This handkerchief was probably very precious and valuable. It looked like it was worth a lot.

I just stared at it blankly, unable to muster up the courage to use it on my bleeding nose.

“Please take it,” Theansis said softly.

“I-it looks expensive, so I feel sorry to use it.”

The handkerchief had a white background that helped bring out its colorful pattern in the center. If I used it to wipe my nosebleed, the handkerchief would get stained and would look ugly.

“In that sense, carpets are more expensive than handkerchiefs,” Theansis answered.

“Ah.” I was looking down at the floor when he said that, and that’s when I noticed that my nose had begun to bleed onto the carpet. I quickly accepted the handkerchief from Theansis, slightly embarrassed.

“The doctor said that there shouldn’t be anything wrong after you woke up. Are you still feeling sick? Are you ok?” He was probably worried about my pale complexion.

“Ah, I’m not feeling sick at all,” I replied, pressing the handkerchief against my nose and waiting for the blood to stop.

I knew he was probably worried because my nose had started bleeding all of the sudden, but I couldn’t bear, to be honest. My nose had begun to bleed because I had finally seen him in person. It wasn’t because I was sick.

Just looking at his bright appearance made me feel like I was dreaming.

Even now, looking at his eyes which held worry and concern for me made me feel guilty for lying to him. But since I couldn’t just blurt out the reason behind my bleeding nose, I changed the subject.

“Why did I faint?”